Is It Safe To Have Sex With A Kidney Infection?

It is important to always know whether having sex is safe, but is it safe to have sex with a kidney infection? Is it safe for you and for your partner? Can you pass on the bacteria, and is there a greater risk to you? If you think you have a kidney infection and you want to know if it's safe to have sex, here are some things to ask yourself:

Do you even want to have sex? If you have a kidney infection (and not just a bladder or urinary tract infection), your symptoms may include pain in your back just below the ribs, pain in the abdomen, chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, and shaking. Your urine may be urgent, painful, blood-tinged, and foul-smelling.

Are you following your doctor's recommendations? If you have a kidney infection, which is diagnosed by testing your urine, you should be under the care of a physician, and you should follow the directions of the medical staff related to your condition. A kidney infection is a serious condition that requires antibiotics for treatment.

What about the bacteria? Despite the serious nature of a kidney infection, having sex will not necessarily worsen your condition or cause your sexual partner to have a bacterial infection. The bacteria that entered your bladder and then moved to your kidneys were already present on your body, and normally these bacteria are kept in check by drinking plenty of water and urinating frequently to flush out bacteria that may have entered the bladder.

How do I protect my partner? You may want to tell your partner about your condition, whether or not you have started antibacterial treatment, and suggest that they urinate immediately after sex to flush away any bacteria that may be present or may have entered their urinary tract.

Knowing this general information should assure you that it is safe to have sex with a kidney infection, as long as you feel healthy enough and are making sure you are receiving treatment for your condition. A kidney infection does not heal on its own, so take care of yourself and see your doctor.